JSSISI: 2004 to 2005, Vol. XXXIV, 158th Session http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8818
Tue, 31 Mar 2015 22:03:40 GMT2015-03-31T22:03:40ZIreland's recent productivity performancehttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/8800
Ireland's recent productivity performance
O'Toole, Ronnie
This paper examines the reasons for the recent divergence in US and
European productivity performance. The paper shows that the structure of European
industry is ill suited to the challenge of innovation which has to be faced given the
rapid development of ICT technology and the fact that the ability to grow
economically by imitating US innovation becomes more limited as convergence to
US levels of output is approached. Turning to Ireland, the paper will show that while
Ireland?s productivity growth over the last decade has been impressive, we still
compare unfavourably with Europe when adjustment is made for transfer pricing.
Much of Ireland?s economic success has been through the employment of more
resources, not their greatly improved utilisation. Further, the persistent problems of
Irish per capita productivity stem from the well-known deficiencies of Irish public
services, and the less appreciated failures of ICT-using services, particularly retail
sales. Finally, the paper argues that Ireland exhibits greater cultural preference for
(voluntary) leisure than our European neighbours.
Read before the Society, 29 March 2005
Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/88002005-01-01T00:00:00ZImmigration policy and the skills of Irish immigrants: evidence and the implicationshttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/8799
Immigration policy and the skills of Irish immigrants: evidence and the implications
Minns, Chris
The rise of immigration into Ireland has been accompanied by a debate on the
potential objectives of immigration policy. This paper begins with a survey of international
and historical evidence on the economics of immigration policy. To place Irish immigration
in the international context, a recent OECD data set is used to compare the education of Irish
immigrants to their counterparts in other European economies. The data suggest that Ireland's
immigrant population is remarkably skilled. Immigrants of EU origin are positively selfselected.
From outside the EU, some countries supply mainly skilled immigrants, while
others are sources of less-skilled workers. These findings are used as a backdrop to explore
three major issues in Irish immigration: the likely impact of EU accession of new member
states, the appropriateness of current immigration policy, and the relationship between current
immigration and future population flows.
read before the Society, 24 February 2005
Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/87992005-01-01T00:00:00ZThe Irish housing market: issues and prospectshttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/8798
The Irish housing market: issues and prospects
Duffy, David
The housing sector represents an important micro-economic and macro-economic component
of the Irish economy. At a micro level purchasing a dwelling is probably the biggest personal
financial commitment an individual will make. The necessary funding is usually borrowed
over a long time period. Borrowing constraints mean that the full purchase price of the
dwelling cannot typically be borrowed. Mortgage repayment can represent a significant
proportion of after tax income. Expenditure by the personal sector on housing and household
equipment and operation represents around a quarter of the value of personal consumption.
The performance of the housing sector is also important for the macro-economy. The
substantial increase in housing output means that investment in new house building now
accounts for 30 per cent of overall investment volumes and has made a significant
contribution to the volume of economic growth in recent years. Construction employment, at
over 204,000 in 2004, now accounts for around 11.7 per cent of total employment. Figures
from the latest Quarterly National Household Survey show that much of the increase in
employment in 2004 is accounted for by the construction sector.
Section 1 provides an overview of recent trends in some housing market indicators. Section 2
discusses the impact of these recent developments on the affordability. Section 3 examines
the consequences of high house prices for migration. Section 4 provides an analysis of the
growth in housing output and the consequences for the Irish economy. Section 5 concludes.
Read before the Society, 14 April 2005
Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/87982005-01-01T00:00:00ZThe NESC studyhttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/8780
The NESC study
O'Donnell, Rory, Cahill, Noel,
This paper presents the key findings from a 2004 NESC study on the Irish housing
system, Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy. The paper begins by identifying the
anxieties and concerns people have about housing. These cluster into three broad concerns:
the stability of the housing market, the degree of inequality in housing opportunities
experienced during the housing boom and the sustainability of settlement patterns and
neighbourhoods developed in the past decade. An interpretation of the housing boom is
developed to assess these concerns. It is argued that a large increase in house prices was
inevitable given economic and demographic trends. The supply response was very dynamic
but was considerably weaker in and near Dublin and other cities. The weaker supply response
in Dublin and other cities was a product of systems of both planning and infrastructure.
There was insufficient investment in infrastructure to support high-quality, high-density
development. The analysis confirms anxieties about inequalities in the distribution of housing
opportunities and also confirms concerns about the sustainability of new settlement patterns
and neighbourhoods. The core policy challenges identified are the need to achieve highquality,
sustainable neighbourhoods and to provide a more effective range of supports to
those households that fall below the affordability threshold. The paper examines the
dynamics of the land market and recommends long-term land use strategies and sufficient
active land management to ensure delivery of both private and social housing
Read before the Society, 14 April 2005
Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMThttp://hdl.handle.net/2262/87802005-01-01T00:00:00Z